woc2



"Why we alwayzzz get stuck with boring azzignmentzz?" grumbled Sting Blade, leaning against one of the computers.

"Ya, not fair!" agreed Buzz Saw.

Waspinator shook his head. "Other Predaconzz get to go out while we have to stay at base and work on zztupid computerzz!"

"Buzz Saw hate being left behind!" He kicked the side of the computer, instantly regretting it as pain shot up his foot.

The Predacon clutched his hurt foot, cursing under his breath. Waspinator and Sting Blade couldn't help giggling. Buzz Saw made a face at them.

Suddenly the computer started beeping. Waspinator activated the screen while his friends leaned over his shoulder to look.

"Hmmm...Ant-bot back," buzzed Waspinator as Inferno appeared on his screen. He looked at the picture more closely and his eyes widened, "and he hazzz stazizz podzz...two of them!!"

The three insects looked at each other for a moment, then buzzed off to tell Megatron.

*****
"This is skycat to ratracer," said Cheetor over his com link, "come in ratracer, you find anything?"

"Not anything to write home about," sighed Rattrap at the other end of the com.

Cheetor landed next to him. "So what do we do now?"

"Keep looking."

Cheetor sighed.

"Well you can go home if ya want," said Rattrap starting to walk away. "I just thought maybe you wanted a chance to prove yourself, that's all."

"Well yeah, finding a stasis pod would impress Optimus." Cheetor looked
sheepishly at the ground, "and maybe Mad Jackel too."

"MJ?" Rattrap rolled his eyes. "Kid, I'd give up on that dame. She's colder then deep space!"

"That's the same thing you said about Livewire, but you're still hitting on her." The younger Maximal grinned. "Isn't that what this is all about?"

Rattrap paused for a moment. "Oh shut up and keep moving!"

*****

"Hmmm...interesting." Tarantulas leaned over the stasis pod. "It appears the protoform acquired a beast shell, then just left."

"Just like the other pod we found," grumbled BlackArachnia. "So much for
reprogramming them."

"Don't be so close-minded widow. The components in these pods may be useful!" The spider chuckled. "Come, we will take them back to my new lair."

"Oh goody," replied the female sarcastically. "I hate manual labor."

*****

Meanwhile back at Pred central....

"Excellent work Inferno!" Megatron grinned wickedly at the two pods his lackey had found.

"I live to serve," Inferno bowed.

"Yep, we're gonna kick some Maximal keiser now!" laughed Quickstrike, who had just returned to base empty handed (or whatever the heck he had).

"Yesss," the Predacon leader chuckled. "I've already reprogrammed these pods, now all we have to do is push this button to begin the replication process and...."

"Can Buzz Saw push button?" asked the yellow jacket eagerly.

Megatron rolled his eyes. "Very well insect, just do it!"

Buzz Saw grinned childishly and pushed a small button on the control panel. Instantly several lights began to flicker, and the pods started humming.

All the Predacons waited as the replication process completed. Then, out of one of the pods, crawled a large, rather unattractive lizard with a frill attached to its neck.

"Ah, my newest Predacon, welcome." Megatron stood before the lizard. "I am Megatron, your leader!"

The lizard smiled, "Iguanus is the name, demolition is my game!" He transformed to robot mode (which was even more hideous the his beast mode) and saluted.

Megatron grinned and looked over at the other pod which was now opening. Out of it stepped, or rather hopped, a purple pterodactyl. "And you are?"

"The name is Lazorbeak," said the pterodactyl transforming.

Megatron starred at him for a moment, at the other end of the room Waspinator shuddered. They couldn't help noticing the new Predacon, except for his color, looked almost identical to Terrorsaur. The resemblance was scary.

"Uh yes, welcome," the Pred commander finally found his voice. "And now we shall crush the Maximal threat, YESSS!"

All the assembled Predacons cheered.

******

"That ought to do it," Mad Jackel closed the circuitry panel she had been working on. "Try it now, Rhinox!"

Rhinox began working his controls and the screen lit up for a moment. Then one of the circuits blew, shocking MJ and sending her back a few feet.

Just then, Optimus and Dinobot entered the room. "How are things going?" asked the Maximal commander.

"N-not s-so g-good O-Optimus-s-s...." said Mad Jackel, her voice circuits chattering from the electricity.

"You all right?" Rhinox asked her.

The female managed to stand up and give him a shaky OK sign, then fell over backwards. Luckily, Dinobot caught her, helping her into a chair.

"What exactly are you doing?" he asked.

Trying to increase the scanners range so we can find some stasis pods," replied Rhinox, "but so far, it hasn't worked."

Primal shook his head. "I'm afraid we'll just have to find those pods the old fashioned way. I think it might be safer for our heath, right MJ?"

"None for me thanks, I'm driving," said the still rather out of it Maximal, falling out of her chair.

Optimus sighed. "Dinobot, could you take her to her quarters? I think she could use a rest."

The raptor picked up Mad Jackel, who for some reason had begun singing
'The Old Gray Mare', and carried her out of the room over his shoulder, passing Livewire as she came in.

Livewire looked back at them for a moment. "Uh...is carcussface drunk or
somethin'?"

"No, she just had a run in with some circuitry," answered Rhinox. "What can I do for you?"

"I was just wondering if Ratty and Cheets was back from patrolling yet."

"No." Optimus looked concerned, "and they've been gone for an awfully long time."

"Knowing cheese-for-brains, he probably stopped for lunch," snickered Livewire, but there was almost a note of worry in her voice.

"I wouldn't worry about those two till it starts to get real late," Rhinox reassured them.

"Well then I'm going to my quarters," said Optimus leaving the room. "Let me know if anything comes up."

"Will do," replied the Maximal technowizard. Livewire began to leave too. "Hold it!"

"What?" she spun around.

"I have a feeling your keeping something."

"I swear I don't know nothing!"

Rhinox stared at her.

"Really!"

He kept starring.

"Well...."

Still starring.

"Ok, enough with the third degree already! Geez, I'll talk," she finally sighed.

Rhinox smiled.

"See, I noticed Rattrap was kinda feeling low, so I sorta tricked him into looking for stasis pods. But I never meant for him to drag the kid into it!" She sat down with her head in her hands, "if anything happens to em, it'll be my fault."

"Don't feel bad. I know Rattrap and he would have done something like this without your help," sighed her companion. "Interesting that you were concerned for him though."

"Well I...." Livewire rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "It's not like I actually LIKE him or anything, it's just...."

"You don't want anyone to know you like him?" Rhinox said gently.

"Maybe," Livewire would have blushed if she wasn't made of metal, "but if you say anything...."

"Your secret is safe with me," the older Maximal smiled.

"Uh, thanks," she left the room feeling a little embarrassed.

Rhinox shook his head thoughtfully, turning back to his computer.

*****

"I'm fine Dinobot, really!" argued Mad Jackel, trying to sit up.

Dinobot gently pushed her back down against her bed. "Optimus said you need rest, so rest!"

"Oh come on," the young Maximal, who was now back to her normal self,
complained, "not like this is the first time I've electrocuted myself!"

"That does not inspire confidence," grumbled the larger robot. "Now would please get some sleep."

The female ran her hand down his chest. "I'd sleep a lot better if you stayed."

Dinobot shook his head. "I have matters I must attend to."

"Oh," MJ sighed. Their relationship was just starting to grow and Dinobot was still a little unsure about the whole thing. She tried not to push him, but her emotions often got the best of her. "Don't I at least get a good night kiss?"

He found this request reasonable and leaned down, kissing her on the lips. Jackel put her arms around him, holding him there for a few lovely moments before reluctantly letting him go.

Dinobot switched off the light as he left. "Pleasant dreams."

Mad Jackel chucked to herself, then drifted out into peaceful slumber.

*****

"Are you sure we're going the right way?"

"Not really."

"Oh." Snarl looked at the ground and kept walking. Spinestrike, as it turned out, was not very talkative and he was getting bored. "You know, you're not much of a conversationalist."

Spinestrike stopped. "Listen buddy, I was just rudely awakened from a very long nap to find myself in a body that looks like a walking salad-shooter! So I'm just a little CRANKY, Ok?!"

"K..." The Tasmanian devil stepped back a few inches. Spinestrike may have been smaller then him, but man, did he have attitude!

They walked on for a while in silence. Finally, Spinestrike spoke up.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound so mad. I'm just a little out of it right now."

"That's goes for the two us us," Snarl grinned "Friends?"

"Friends," the echidna returned the smile. "I'd shake hands, but I don't seem to have them at the moment."

They both burst out laughing.

Neither of the two Maximals had any idea they were being watched. By sixteen eyes that is, eight belonging to each spider.

"Well, well, two little lost Maximals," purred BlackArachnia wickedly. "Perhaps we should help them find their way, to their doom that is."

Tarantulas chuckled. "Yes, I could use a few new guinea pigs. But the last time we had a captive, I seem to remember something went wrong...."

The female frowned. She hated constantly being reminded of her run in with her Maximal sister, which had sense become know as the 'Jackel Incident'. "You have any better ideas?"

"Hand them over to Megatron."

"What?!!"

"Think about it she-spider," said Tarantulas slyly. "We give Megatron two captives, we get in his good graces, and then...."

"We squash him like a bug!" BlackArachnia finished the thought. "You are one whacked out spider, but never the less brilliant!"

Snarl suddenly stopped. "Did you hear something?"

"No," replied Spinestrike, "but something doesn't feel right around here."

The two Maximized, drawing their weapons. They looked around nervously, but there was no enemy.

"Maybe we're just jumpy?" Snarl lowered his tail gun.

Spinestrike shook his head and kept his own lazor ready. "Trust me, when I feel something is wrong it usually is."

"Your correct Maximal!" screeched a female voice.

The echidna couldn't duck in time as BlackArachnia nailed him in the chest with a karate kick. While Tarantulas slammed hard into Snarl.

The female Predacon pinned Spinestrike to the ground. "Not much of a fighter are...UGH!"

He managed to get an arm free and punched her in the face. He had no problem with hitting a girl.

Meanwhile, Snarl was doing the best he could against the Transmetal. He was a good warrior, but Tarantulas had gotten the upper hand. Snarl was soon on his stomach, a cyber-venom dart being pressed into his back. He felt his systems shutting down and a sudden coldness, then nothing.

BlackArachnia screamed as a razor-edged boomerang sliced through several of her leg cannons.

Spinestrike caught the boomerang and began to draw his labor. Tarantulas
grabbed his arms and held them behind his back. BlackArachnia smiled, moving
dangerously towards him. He struggled, but Tarantulas's grip only tightened.

"I was wrong, you are a good fighter." The female rubbed his face almost sweetly with her claw. "But not good enough!"

She shank her fangs into him him and his body began to go limp. The last thing Spinestrike remembered was BlackArachnia's wicked smile, then his world went black.

*****

Waspinator buzzed down the hallway, followed by Lazorbeak. Megatron had commanded him to give the new Predacon a tour of the base. It wasn't the assignment that bothered him though, it was Lazorbeak. The resemblance to his late comrade Terrorsaur was giving Waspy the creeps. It was gonna take some time to get use to.

"Thizz your quarterzz," said Waspinator stopping in front of a doorway. "Uzze to belong to Terrorsaur."

Lazorbeak had by now learned who Terrorsaur was and that he bore a striking resemblance to him. "Uh, thanks."

"Wazzpinator go now," the wasp flew off, seeming happy to get away.

"Weird guy," Lazorbeak shook his head and walked into his new room.

The room had obviously been cleaned out sense it's previous resident, so there wasn't much to look at. The new Predacon leaned back in a chair, putting he feet up on the desk. "I need to get an interior decorator in here."

It was then he noticed a small panel on the wall looked loose. Lazorbeak tugged on it and it opened, reveling a small computer hidden behind it.

*Why would someone hide this back there?* he wondered to himself turning on the computer. "Hmmm...."

*****

Megatron leaned back in his chair grinning. The day had turned out pretty well after all. He had two new additions to his troops, and best of all the two treacherous arachnids hadn't bothered him for awhile. Life was good!

"Oh Megatron!" sang out a sickeningly sweet voice.

So much for that thought.

The assembled Predacons turned as BlackArachnia entered the room, Tarantulas remained in the doorway.

Quickstrike noticed the missing leg cannons and ran over to her. "You all right sugarbot?"

"Nothing the CR tank won't fix." She brushed him aside, "but right now I have business."

Megatron turned to her. "I take it you failed to find any stasis pod?"

"Yes," BlackArachnia gestured to Tarantulas, "but we brought the next best thing!"

The male spider dragged the two unconscious Maximals into the room,
wrapped in stasis webs. "Hostages, for you Mighty Megatron!" Tarantulas smirked.

The Predacon commander knew the spider were up to no good, but why look a gift Maximal in the mouth?

"Excellent! Inferno, disarm them and lock them up."

The fire ant did as he was told and took the captives from Tarantulas.

"Arachnia, go repair yourself. Sting Blade, open up a communications link to the Maximals." Megatron grinned, "I have a little message for Primal...."